WORLD: The Mental Wealth of Nations

. LONDON, England NATURE / International Weekly Journal of Science October 23, 2008 Nature 455, 1057-1060 John Beddington, Cary L. Cooper, John Field, Usha Goswami, Felicia A. Huppert, Rachel Jenkins, Hannah S. Jones, Tom B. L. Kirkwood, Barbara J. Sahakian & Sandy M. Thomas Abstract Countries must learn how to capitalize on their citizens' cognitive resources if they are to prosper, both economically and socially. Early interventions will be key. To prosper and flourish in a rapidly changing world, we must make the most of all our resources — both mental and material. Globalization and its associated demands for competitiveness are increasing the pressures in our working lives. Added to this are the demands from evolving family structures and increased care responsibilities, both for children and for older relatives. And increased life expectancy in most industrialized nations means that ever greater numbers of people will be at risk of degenerative disorders in older age. The UK Government Office for Science is this week announcing the findings of a peer-reviewed study: the Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing. This used state-of-the-art scientific and other evidence to investigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the next 20 years. The report provides an independent assessment that is intended to inform policy-makers both in the United Kingdom and around the world. The project tracks the implications of future challenges to our mental development from cradle to grave. Taking two years to complete, it has involved more than 450 experts and stakeholders from many disciplines and from 16 countries. Eighty peer-reviewed papers summarize the latest evidence, and international workshops have brought together experts and policy-makers to discuss what could be done to address the challenges. Although our project focused on the United Kingdom, the challenges of depression, dementia, learning difficulties and mental ill-health are evident worldwide. The project therefore has far-reaching implications for the course of an individual's life, for societies and for nations. Five reports synthesize the evidence base; and a final report sets out the overall findings and options for policy, which are summarized here. All reports are available at http://tinyurl.com/49jonm. Defining mental capital The project looked at two main aspects of mental development: mental capital and mental well-being. Mental capital encompasses both cognitive and emotional resources. It includes people's cognitive ability; their flexibility and efficiency at learning; and their 'emotional intelligence', or social skills and resilience in the face of stress. The term therefore captures a key dimension of the elements that establish how well an individual is able to contribute to society and to experience a high quality of life. Mental well-being, on the other hand, is a dynamic state that refers to individuals' ability to develop their potential, work productively and creatively, build strong and positive relationships with others and contribute to their community. However, the two concepts are intimately linked both throughout life and across different areas of the project. Positive emotional states or a generally positive approach to life are associated with greater curiosity, more flexible thinking and a greater openness to learning, and these qualities are particularly important during the development of mental capital in childhood and adolescence. Early learning in children can increase their resilience to stress and common mental disorders. Later in life, this resilience helps to engender well-being at work and into old age. And older individuals who report higher levels of well-being also have better cognitive function, even when adjustment has been made for other possible explanatory factors, such as socio-demographic variables, health and lifestyle1. Thus, how a nation develops and uses its mental capital not only has a significant effect on its economic competitiveness and prosperity, it is also important for mental health and well-being and social cohesion and inclusion. Because they are so closely linked, mental health and well-being should both therefore be considered when developing policies and designing interventions. The project comprised two key stages: understanding the evidence and identifying ways forward. Three particular areas of focus were: childhood development; mental health and well-being at work; and making the most of cognitive resources in older age. Progression through life Evidence on childhood learning difficulties shows that, left untreated, very small initial differences in the sensory processing systems used by the brain in learning can lead to significant problems later in life2. Subtle impairments in auditory processing, for example, can give rise to developmental dyslexia, which can have significant negative effects on a person's passage through life. Moreover, the interactive nature of the developing brain means that a problem in one sensory area can affect development in other areas. By late childhood it can be hard to identify the core problem. The cognitive problems experienced by a child with a learning difficulty can lead to poor self-esteem, or to frustration that results in the child disengaging from learning and lacking the motivation to learn. If a problem is identified later in life, it is often harder for an individual to realize the full potential of their mental capital and well-being. The brain undergoes significant structural and functional changes during adolescence3: the formation of new synapses peaks at around 9–12 years, followed by some 'pruning' of synapses that are surplus or underused. In addition, adolescents go through significant emotional, hormonal and behavioural adjustment, and are particularly prone to risk-taking behaviour, such as drug and alcohol use. As the brain is still developing, such behaviour is particularly injurious to it at this stage3, with long-term effects. Neuroimaging and neuropsychological studies indicate that substance use during adolescence is associated with neural disadvantages, particularly in the networks involved in learning, attention and executive function. To help address these issues, the report came up with three main recommendations. First, training should be available for parents and teachers about issues in child development and how to help children who have learning difficulties to flourish. In addition, a higher priority needs to be placed on supporting children with these difficulties, as well as their carers. Finally, more emphasis needs to be placed on early identification and treatment of intrinsic learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyscalculia — essentially dyslexia for numbers. .......... The effects of mental capital and well-being on an individual's life course are profound, and governments have considerable scope to more fully realize a long-term and strategic perspective that spans the life course. As discussed earlier, this Foresight project has delivered some specific policy recommendations. It will now be for the UK government to consider how best to take these forward. However, a cross-governmental approach is needed to realize the full benefits. Early intervention in education could provide benefits for reducing crime, improving productivity in work, and reducing pressure on health and care systems by preserving mental capital in older age. Departments will need to work together more closely. And interventions may have long timescales before they see any returns. Implementing these recommendations will require significant changes in the nature of governance, placing mental capital and well-being at the heart of policy-making. Interested in more? Click here © 2008 Nature Publishing Group